Summary: Cat is very hungry. But cat food is dry and dull and not at all yummy. So what in the world should Cat eat instead? Turtle eats worms, but worms are too wiggly. Fox eats rabbits, but rabbits are too bouncy. What everyone else loves to eat is thoroughly unappetizing to Cat. Until, by chance, the thing Cat really wants to eat appears right in front of him. What could it be?

Holdings

Reviews

Booklist Reviews 2017 October #1

Big, yellow, and looking well-fed, Cat snubs his food because it's "dry and dull and not very yummy." In search of something better, he quizzes a series of other animals about what they eat, before rejecting each of their gastronomical choices. Turtle's worms wiggle ("Eww. No thank you"); Fox's rabbits bounce; Chimp's ants bite; and Cat won't even consider Lion's zebras. The tables are turned when Cat is approached by Mouse, who asks him what cats eat. With perked ears and a lick of the lips, Cat responds, "Hmm . . . I think I've just figured it out." The final pages show Mouse running away, and the reader is left to speculate what might happen. Mixed-media illustrations in retro muted colors alternate between scenes of Cat conversing with the animals and the animals pursuing their meals. The clear and uncluttered illustrations, combined with a brief text consisting entirely of dialogue, make this ideal for sharing with various-sized audiences. However, be ready for conversations about the open ending and the culinary and predatory habits of specific animals. Copyright 2017 Booklist Reviews.

Horn Book Guide Reviews 2018 Fall

As a feline embarks on a quest to find more appetizing fare than dry cat food, it questions a fox, lion, whale, and others about their dietary preferences. Neal's simple renderings of a finicky cat with attitude will delight young readers (whether picky eaters or not), but the ending--which suggests a mouse is doomed--feels abrupt. Copyright 2018 Horn Book Guide Reviews.

PW Reviews 2017 September #2

A beefy yellow cat narrates Neal's tale; he's through with cat food, he says. After sending his kibble flying with a kick, he sets off in search of tastier fare and surveys other animals. "What does a turtle eat," he asks. "Worms, of course," is the turtle's reply. "But I must warn you, they wiggle." Neal's animals, painted in milky colors, have a folktale look suited to the story's traditional question-and-answer form and use of repetition. Several animals later, the cat is no closer to satisfaction: "I'm really hungry and searching for something yummy to eat that doesn't wiggle, bounce, or bite and that isn't too big, too dry, or too boring." Suddenly, a mouse appears and asks what a cat eats. The jolt of electricity is palpable; the cat lowers its body and licks its lips. "I think I've just figured it out. But I must warn you..." he says. Though the mouse escapes, the biggest surprise is the cat's transformation from idle observer into glittery-eyed predator. Perhaps that's the story's lesson—the right choice is the one that instantly focuses our attention. Ages 4–6. Agent: Stephen Barr, Writers House. (Nov.)